The Ring Fort Gråborg on Öland, Sweden

A New Interpretation of Its Secondary So-Called Inner and Outer Walls

Abstract

This paper concerns the secondary so-called inner and outer walls at the ancient ring fort of Gråborg on Öland, Sweden. An ocular buildingarchaeological examination 1997–2002 led to the conclusion that these walls have a building technique and construction that gives reason to re-evaluate earlier interpretations regarding their age, function and rise. I argue that these secondarily built walls might represent the work of farmers or craftsmen clearing the area inside and surrounding the ring fort in order to facilitate farming after the prehistoric and medieval building phases. This might also be the reason we do not have any crop marks inside or outside Gråborg today.

The ocular examination 1997–2002 gave a chance to study walls, rows of stones, single stones, drained areas etc. linked to different building phases of Gråborg, which will be commented upon, too.